Gaylord Venue--Good or Bad?

[edew]

Agreed. (with regards to breaking up SN)

Can't do it. It's too cost prohibitive to send referees to two different locations, with different hotel stays and two separate venues.

I would say, that they might even consider shortening the number of days by adding more events to the last few days. When the vets show up, the strips are not all fully utilized and that's a waste of resources.

Maybe they can add a Y14 team event, or even a Div II team event. Make some more money using the same space.

[edew]

Agreed.

I really resented the $12 per-visit parking fee. Unless you're actually staying at the resort, it's an additional daily expense to jack up the overall cost of the event.

Had a big dinner with several others. Each one of us got a parking validation ticket, which all went to me. Also, another night, I stayed late at the Texan Station bar and left after midnight. The gates were opened and I didn't have to pay to exit. So all in all, I paid $12 for all of 9 days of parking there (I didn't go in one day).

Ok, the meals dinged me, but I gots to eat anyway.

Too much fried food with thick gravy or creamy sauces. And that's not just Gaylord, it's all over Dallas.

[edew]

Las Vegas may not be considered for nationals because of the kids in the youth events. Now if they split up nationals.......

Vegas is pretty family friendly. It's not like there's tramps standing around the hotels all day...

There's lots of activities for kids ($10 roller coaster rides at NY-NY, magic shows at $95/person, etc). Vegas is probably quite doable even with youth fencers.

[contre-Sixte]

I've never seen so few non-fencers at a national event. I think the lack of spectator attendance had to do 1) with the remote location 2) the absurd parking fee. If the tournament has to be in "Dallas", please put it in Dallas ... not some outlier hamlet.

[ballisticmonkey3]

Vegas baby! I think we can get rooms in July for $59/night on the strip, at least during the weeknights not including the 4th of July. Venue attached to the hotel: Venetian has the Sands right next door. Mandalay Bay has a huge convention center next to it as well. Rio has one as well, but probably not big enough for a SN, maybe a NAC. Caesar's also has a new convention center, I believe.

Vegas has a different way to gouge you of your money. At least you'll enjoy it, perhaps.

Oh dear lord, no! I had some friends in Vegas at the same time I was at SN, and they told me it got up to 118 degrees F one day. A/C or no, that's too hot. Couldn't they hold SN somewhere that's weather neutral like New York, Colorado, or Washington (even with the rain.)?

[oiuyt]

Yeah, but it's a dry heat.

-B

[seak]

Perfect for roasting

[edew]

I'd rather be in Vegas at 118F and dry than in NY at 98F and 99% humidity. Gak. I can just feel the sweat streaming out from each and every poor.

[catwood1]

I agree. I've played golf in 120 degree weather in Arizona, and it is WAY nicer than playing in 85 degree weather in NJ. Dry heat, not so bad.

[AndrewH]

like New York

Man, I wish.

[Inquartata]

When the vets show up, the strips are not all fully utilized and that's a waste of resources.

They reduced the size of the room by a third for the last day. I don't know if that was the USFA's idea or the Gaylord's, but it meant double-flighting D2WS and made it difficult to find warm-up strips.

And of course, the finals strip went away. Well, no one important was fencing on that day, anyway, so no matter...

On a personal note, I thought it was a bad sign when I saw bigdawg2121 in civilian attire. Sure enough, the referee situation was again a bit...less than optimum.

A tip of the mask to David Sierra, who was completely professional and objective in spite of the fact that ( I suspect ) he considers me an ass.

[BarbaraC]

You hit "The Bad" right on the head. If a fencer flew in and could not rent a car, stayed at a less expensive venue, took a taxi every time from their hotel 6 miles a way....We would not vote for this one again. Venue too isolated and overpriced.

[teacup]

Vegas is pretty family friendly. It's not like there's tramps standing around the hotels all day...

There's lots of activities for kids ($10 roller coaster rides at NY-NY, magic shows at $95/person, etc). Vegas is probably quite doable even with youth fencers.

I don't disagree, I was speculating as to why Las Vegas hasn't been chosen.

(But no matter how much Las Vegas tries to be "kid friendly", it is still more an adult oriented destination.)

[hello?]

I heard from someone at the USFA that the comments on the Gaylord were mostly positive. Biggest problem seems to have been expensive food.

[teacup]

I heard from someone at the USFA that the comments on the Gaylord were mostly positive. Biggest problem seems to have been expensive food.

Perhaps those that liked the Gaylord were more vocal to the USFA.

As I posted a long time ago, it really depends on which group is asked.

Youth families, fencers spending only a couple of days, those with unlimited budgets and cars, liked it.

Juniors, fencers staying longer and those on limited budgets and without cars didn't like it.

[Piste_Pearl]

Overall I really liked the venue.

Was it perfect, no, but every site will have drawbacks.

I loved that everything was in the hotel and I could walk everywhere and I only had to drive if I wanted to. Our room (no balcony) was very spacious and plenty of room for us, our mammoth pile of gear, and friends to hang out in.

A grocery store was within 2 miles, which bell services or the front desk directed us to when we inquired. (A whole lot closer than anything you'd find in downtown Dallas!)

Dallas prices are always higher, so the costs were about what I'd expect from a major, hotel. (I'd be happy if they were cheaper, but Downtown wouldn't have been any better!)

We enjoyed the pool, fireworks, kitchy themeing, generally we had a great time and I would go back for another SN or NAC in a heartbeat.

[edew]

"Food's expensive, and in such small portions!"

[lewis]

"Food's expensive, and in such small portions!"

It was too much for such a long time. Fun, like the broadmoor for a shorter event. Food outrageously expensive as were the drinks. Reffing issues must belong in a different thread but I like the y14 and divII team ideas, cadet team, divIII team. Of course this depends on fixing the ref issues. Last couple of days the sabre reffing was a very sad statement about the usfa's committment to its athletes. Events should be cancelled if the reffing isn't there.... but that's a different thread.

[contre-Sixte]

Of course this depends on fixing the ref issues. Last couple of days the sabre reffing was a very sad statement about the usfa's committment to its athletes. Events should be cancelled if the reffing isn't there.... but that's a different thread.

2 of my VET40MF DEs were presided over by a 13 year-old girl... and she was good. But still, it makes me wonder how seriously the USFA takes the event.

[Sinestra]

The bartenders at Texas Station told me that the USFA had confirmed the Gaylord once again for NAC E in Dallas. If this is true, I can say right now that I will not be going, because I can't afford to pay out the ass for a resort this insanely expensive again. The hotel itself was just okay. The service and staff were pretty good, for the most part. But I might as well have been anywhere in the US--didn't matter than it was Dallas, that it was Texas, that it was even the summer. (Some people might consider this a good thing, but I really don't.) We were totally cut off from the surrounding area, unless you had a car, knew someone with a car, or had the money to keep paying for those damn shuttles or a cab. The amount of money I had to spend traveling by myself, staying in this resort, and basically being forced to eat resort food is absurd. I simply can't afford this place again. It wasn't worth it.
It's nice that the venue was basically free for the USFA, I guess, but it'd be nice if they could pick somewhere where it didn't have to have an inversely proportional relationship to the cost per fencer.